Lecture 15 - Communities

Question 1

Community

Answer 1

An assemblage of all the populations of different species living close enough together for potential interactions

Question 2

Species richness

Answer 2

The number of species in a community

Question 3

Species diversity

Answer 3

The relative abundance of species in a community

Refers to how common or rare a species is relative to other species

Question 4

Ecological niche

Answer 4

The sum of a species use of the biotic and abiotic resources in its enviornment

The role a species plays

Question 5

Fundamental niche

Answer 5

Is the entire set of conditions under which an organism (population, species) can survive and reproduce itself

Question 6

Realize niche

Answer 6

Is the set of conditions actually used by given organism (pop, species), after interactions with other species (predatioin and competition) have been taken into account

Question 7

What determines a niche?

Enviornmental conditions

Abiotic

Answer 7

• Climate
• Soils
• Disturbances

Question 8

What deterines a niche?

Species interactions

Biotic

Answer 8

• Competition
• Mutualism
• Parasitism
• Herbivory
• Predation

Question 9

Competition

Answer 9

Occurs between populations of two species if they both require the same limited resource

principle of limiting similarity

Question 10

Mutualism

Answer 10

Two organisms of different species exist in a relationship in which each individual benefits from the activity of the other

Question 11

Parasitism

Answer 11

Lives on or in host from which it gains nutrients

Endoparasite, Ectoparasite

Question 12

Herbivory

Answer 12

The consumption of plants by animals

Question 13

Predation

Answer 13

The consumption of prey by predators

Question 14

Aposematic Coloration

Answer 14

Honest signal warning potential predators against harm to avoid becoming prey

Question 15

Mimicry

Answer 15

Take advantage of another organisms’ strategy to gain survival advantage

Can be honest or dishonest

Question 16

Batesian mimicry

Answer 16

• Dishonest signal
• Non toxic/non-dangerous organism mimics dangerous organism

Question 17

Mullerian mimicry

Answer 17

• Honest signal
• 2 or more dangerous species share warning coloration
• Converys “message” more efficiently

Question 18

Disturbance

Answer 18

A temporary change in enviornmental conditions that causes a pronounced change in an ecosystem

fires, natural disasters

Question 19

Ecological succession

Answer 19

The change in community diversity over time

Question 20

Primary succession

Answer 20

A biological communty arises in an area without soil

Question 21

Secondary succession

Answer 21

A disturbance remove vegetation, but there is still intact soil

Question 22

Keystone Species

Answer 22

A species whose impact on the community is much larger than its biomass or abundance would indiciate

Question 23

Invasive species

Answer 23

Non-native species that adversely affect the habitats they invade economically or ecologically

Question 24

What makes a species invasive?

Answer 24

• High reproduction
• Short time to mature and reproduce
• Associate with human acitivites and environmental disturbances
• Good dispersal abilities
• Ability to outcompete native species for resources
• Lack of enemies

Question 25

How to deal with invasive species?

Answer 25

• Removal and monitoring
• Biocontrol

The introduction of natural enemies to the same location as the species